1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an IC carrier for carrying thereon an IC for transportation or to be received in an IC socket. From another aspect, the present invention relates to an IC socket to be used for connection to an IC, and particularly to an IC holding construction which is common both to the IC carrier and the IC socket.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,639 owned by the present applicant discloses a one-piece type IC carrier comprising a base member and torsion bars each integrally formed on each corner of the base member, and latch arms integral with the torsion bars, respectively and adapted to engage with an edge portion of an IC placed on the base member.
In this one-piece type IC carrier, each latch arm is pivoted upwardly about its corresponding torsion bar to remove its engagement with the IC. At this time, a twisting energy is accumulated in the torsion bar, and the latch arm is pivoted downwardly by this twisting energy so as to be brought into engagement with a corresponding corner portion of the IC.
The above carrier is operated to open and close the latch arms while exerting a twisting force to the torsion bars, so that the latch arms are engaged with and disengaged from the IC. Since the twisting force is repeatedly exerted to the torsion bars every time the IC is inserted and removed, the twisting stress is concentrated on connecting portions at both ends of the torsion bars which are integrally connected to the base member. As a result, the connecting portions gradually become fragile and unable to fully carry out their functions. Moreover, since the torsion bars are required to extend across the corner portions of the base member which has only a limited space, it is difficult to obtain a sufficient length for each of the torsion bars. Therefore, the connecting portions of the torsion bars tend to be more fragile and have a tendency to break. In addition, when the torsion bars and the latch arms are integrally formed in the base member, complicated narrow spaces or gaps for defining both of them must be formed therearound, and therefore, molding is not easy.
As described above, in the IC carrier or IC socket of the type in which the above latch arms are elastically engaged with and disengaged from the IC, the latch arms are integrally formed on the base member such that the latch arms themselves are elastically shifted at the connecting portions, for example, at the above torsion bars, with respect to the base member.
On the other hand, if the latch arms are formed separately from the base member to form a two-piece construction, the latch arms are pivotably supported relative to the base member through shafts or pins respectively, and the latch arms, when pivoted to positions for engagement with the IC, are brought into engagement with the base member through male and female engagement means in order to hold the IC. Such an IC engagement means as just mentioned can obviate problems such as deterioration in elasticity and breakage of the latch arms, the problems being inherent in the one-piece construction. However, the engagement between the male portion and the female portion is not reliable, and they are easily disengaged due to wear of the male and female portions.